


A Nightmare Come True

by Kakashifan727



Series: The King and His Pumpkin [2]
Category: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Genre: F/M, Love, Love Confessions, im slow, it took too long, proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:35:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23080288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kakashifan727/pseuds/Kakashifan727
Summary: This was supposed to be out in August, but I take forever to do things. But now it’s done! This for my self ship, so don’t like don’t read. It’s 2020 but it feels like 2008. Tag is mostly for swearing and a bit of heavy making out.I finally make a move and propose to the most important person in my life. Not before having a heartfelt talk with my best rag doll friend in regards to the matter, who gives me confidence to do so. She’s so sweet!
Relationships: Jack Skellington/Author, Jack Skellington/Original Female Character(s), Jack Skellington/Self-Insert
Series: The King and His Pumpkin [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1469786
Comments: 3
Kudos: 15





	A Nightmare Come True

I feel the crunch of leaves under my feet and internally sigh at finally touching solid ground. That drop was never exactly pleasant for me, no matter how many times I took the plunge. I straighten up, brushing some stray leaves off of me, adjusting my cane in my hand and the glasses nearly slipping off my face, making doubly sure my travel bag is secure on my shoulder. Knowing that everything is set, I start walking, swiveling the mobility device back and forth as I go so it can catch on any rocks or crevices I cannot notice. The air is slightly cool, much like back home, though it has a touch more crispness to it—relaxing, really.

I pace myself, going at a leisurely speed so I can notice the tall trees and how they reflect the orange light of this world’s odd sun. Which is starting to descend, I realize as I keep going, making me more than a little worried. Well, it’s not like there is anything I can do about it now aside from walking. As the minutes turn into hours, the orange light slowly fading away to the dark of night, I take out my flashlight and shine it on the ‘path’ in front of me. It’s so dark the cone doesn’t illuminate much, and my sight is so awful I can barely make out anything. Still, I continue walking, knowing that staying here certainly isn’t a good idea.

_ You’ve done this before. There’s nothing to be scared about.  _ I think, trying to calm my nervous heart. Then again, the fact that it’s night isn’t what’s bothering me. What’s bothering me is the reason I’ve decided to go to this place where humans are usually not very welcome. I fiddle with my bag, stopping for a moment to unzip it and triple check the contents inside. Clothes, books, drawing supplies, food, water—all of these are really insignificant compared to the item hidden in one of the small pockets on the inside of the bag. 

A pair of small velvet boxes, which I curl my hand around almost protectively to make sure they both really are there before I close the compartment and bag in its entirety. The whole reason I decided to make this trip now, of all times. During the busiest time of year for both of us. 

_ I’m going to do this. I mean, we’ve been together romantically for two years and a half now. And had been friends for two and a half years prior. I know him like the back of my hand, and would do anything for him. Making this next step isn’t that big of a deal. No, it’ll be fine! _

I breathe inwardly, trying to calm my nerves. It doesn't help that I’m imagining his reactions at the moment, my heart feeling like it’s about to burst. The excitement in his silky voice as he finally understands what’s happening. The feeling of his body and arms as he wraps me in a tight embrace. The smoothness of his mouth and tongue as he passionately kisses me...I feel my face heat up in embarrassment, putting one hand to my head to cover it. I really need to calm down! I just…

Can’t.

Stop.

Thinking about it.

_ Oh, get over yourself!  _ Doing that is easier said than done, honestly. I miss him. We haven’t seen each other in three months. Aside from our two year anniversary when we met up in July. Really just talked through letters, the level of technology here being what it is; aside from the very rare times he would visit for a day and then leave. That’s probably why I’m having this sort of reaction. I can’t stop imagining the feeling of our hands entwined, just sitting and talking as we do. Well, I mostly listen...but still! Or feeling his lips caress mine, the two of us trying to convey our feelings through the act.  _ I love you so much...I can’t wait to see you, my love... _

I speed up my pace despite being tired, my thoughts spurring me onward. I’m not sure if it’s thirty minutes or an hour before the scenery changes; I’ve long forgotten what time it is besides it being pitch black. Soon enough the trees finally start to thin in number, and a path of dirt comes into my very limited view. Without the light, I highly doubt I would’ve seen it. 

I can finally make out the pale light of the moon, no longer being blocked by the canopy of trees. Here, though, it looks quite large; ginormous even as it takes up most of the sky. I wonder why that is...Maybe it has something to do with the topography of this place. Maybe the usual rules of the world don’t necessarily apply here. I’m not sure; all I know is that the sight of the large moon is comforting.

“What am I doing? I have somewhere to be…”

I half berate myself with a sad smile before moving onwards. The lone path continues for a while, before it is soon joined by stone fences on each side. I feel a chill run up the back of my spine. Probably due to the nature of this place; where the living are not exactly welcome. 

I simply gather my hoodie tighter around myself, ignoring the howling of the wind as I walk. Soon, the path is littered with graves on either side. More of them are beyond the fences, along with some tall trees and bushes that I don’t know the species of. Not like I can make out anything with my sight aside from the fact that there are trees present. The one thing I can make out however, as I keep walking, is the large hill that comes into view. 

I grin as I look up at the spiral hill, fond memories flooding my brain at the sight. Comforting Sally after she ran away from the doctor. Talking with Jack about things that were troubling him. The three of us stargazing on a nice, clear night. Playing fetch with Zero and his master. Helping Sally find ingredients for her special soup. Or talking with her about feelings and other things. Many fond memories indeed!

I feel the anxiety in my heart lift at the rush of memories. I just keep walking, being careful not to accidentally knock over or touch any of the graves lying on the sides of the path. I’d rather not wake up anything that was sleeping; it'd be quite rude! Though, I do stop when I come to a particular grave, this one all too familiar to me. It’s shaped like a dog house, which is fitting considering the occupant inside. I crouch down, a small noise getting my attention, making me slightly worried for the ghost dog. 

“Oh, he’s sleeping. Hmhmhm...Had a busy day, huh?”

I mutter, gently rubbing my hand on the cold, smooth roof of the small doghouse. It makes another snort in response, making me smile. If that’s the case, I won’t wake him up, even if I could use him to find his hardworking owner. Which is a tempting idea to be honest. But unfair. After wishing the spectral pooch a good night, I make my way along the path to the gate, looking up at the large arches and eloquent stonework that signaled the end of the place where ghosts and the actual dead dwelled. I attempt to open the gate by pulling on it, as I usually do, but it sticks fast, doing no more than making a rattling noise that vibrates through my hands.

“Oh goddammit ...I forgot it’s usually locked.”

I say to myself, cursing inwardly as I scan the metal gate for any way to get across. There are no holes to slip through, as the bars are too close together; not as if I’m fit enough to do so anyway. There’s no way I can climb that; it’s much too tall and I’d get hurt on the pointed spikes. I look at the stonework, the cobbled fence surrounding the gate. It too, is covered by the same threatening looking spikes. It’s not nearly as tall though, only a foot or so taller than I am. I can probably get a good grip on it and heft myself over. That means of course, probably getting my skin or clothes poked by the spikes, as I know I’m not athletic enough to really jump the fence. Oh well, if it’s to see my love again, that is a very small price to pay.

_ Well...I’ll simply have to be careful, is all… _ I muse, taking a deep breath before folding up my walking apparatus and sticking it in my bag. I keep the flashlight as I need to see exactly what I am doing. I feel for purchase in the stones, my fingers catching on the uneven gaps in the stonework. I use that to try and heft myself up, at least able to reach the metal bars to use as a hold. I stand on the ledge of the fence, worried about falling off since it’s not really giving me much to work with. I ignore the chill in my spine as I try my best to lift one of my legs over the metal bars and the pointed tips. It goes over easily enough, though now I’m straddling the fence with one hand, trying my best to not impale myself as I attempt to get my other leg over. 

This, unfortunately, does not go as well. Maybe it is the way I am balanced on the fence but I feel a sharp pain as I lift my leg up and across the threshold. It burns, and as I look at it, I can see a small tear in my pants; most likely where the wound is located.  _ Shit... _ I quickly lean away from the top of the fence, another horrible idea as I don’t balance myself correctly and go rolling into the dirt. I feel my back slam against the hard ground, causing me to let out a gasp of pain. 

I lay there for a moment, dazed, before I do my best to roll over on my stomach despite the ache in my back. It stings my elbows and wrists a little, but I’m more concerned with the throbbing pain in my leg. More importantly, I sit up and check the cut on my calves. It’s not deep, barely breaking the skin and thankfully only a couple inches long. Just a scratch, though it is bleeding a tiny bit. I simply poke through the hole in my pants and press a finger to the cut, wiping up blood onto my hand. I’ll take care of it later; it’s not life threatening. As for my back, it hurts but nothing too serious, I don’t think; I can still walk just fine and move about. Though it does hurt to do so...

That done, I take my cane out of my bag, unrolling it and putting it on the ground before walking again. It isn’t long before I notice I’m at the outskirts of town, the silhouette of a familiar tower soon popping up into view. A somber tune plays as I continue walking, my thoughts focused on one of the tower’s former occupants. I really hope she’s doing well. Knowing how resourceful she is, I bet so! I wonder how her shop is doing; I’ll have to go visit if I have time. I have to drop off my gift for her, after all...

I barely notice the figures on the side of the road; if they hadn’t been the ones making the music I probably wouldn’t have recognized them. I just smile at the three instrument playing gentlemen on the cobbled road, still sort of shy despite having interacted with them a few times

before, dropping more than a few coins in the tin they use to collect tips. I have more than enough, and I usually don’t spend the currency of this place on things since I can’t use most of them, aside from things to decorate my apartment with. I stand there for a few minutes, trying to figure out what to do and also listen to them play. 

I wonder if I should go into town to look for Jack? No...People know of me, since our relationship has been public for a while...But I’m still a human, and he isn’t around right now to watch me. I’d rather not have another jinxing incident if I can help it. It was only a few months ago, but...I’d rather not recall it. Though, after that last town meeting, I don’t think anyone would try and mess with me—or Sally—again. Still, if he is working late and it’s quite possible that he is, given it’s September, the last thing I’d want to do is take him away from his job. Though I am worried about him. If he’s been sleeping well, eating ok, those sorts of things. I focus on the music to try and calm myself; it’s so nice after all the walking and stuff I’ve been doing for the last few hours. I might fall asleep if I’m not careful! It’s a somber melody, soft and dark, yet comforting in its own way. Yet I can’t stay here all night; I have things to do! 

I turn to wave goodbye before a thought finally strikes me; I’m angry I didn’t think of it sooner. Of course they would know if he was home; the route to his manor takes him by this place every day. I quickly jog up to the three, which agitates my back even further, but I ignore it to ask them a question. They stop playing for a moment, watching me curiously.

“Sorry to bother you guys, but...Jack hasn’t passed by here tonight, has he?”

I watch them turn their heads towards each other for a split second, something in their gazes perplexing me before they face me again. One gentleman with the long nose and pointed hair begins to speak. Which one was this again? James? Jimmy? Oh god I suck with names. Dammit...

“Yea, sorry to tell ya hon, but we haven’t seen much of him either. He’s either locked himself up in his tower or ‘s stuck in Town Hall.”

“Ah, so he’s busy then…”

I mutter, shuffling on my feet. I should have known, really. It’s getting closer and closer to Halloween; the month where his title comes from. Of course he’d be extremely busy—more than usual. He hasn’t even come home for a visit, seeing as we do live together now. Though it is a bit weird calling it that since neither of us can stay—or in my case, exist—in the other’s realm for very long. He’s busy with work, and I usually have to go back home eventually for my human needs. We try to make it work, but it’s hard not being with him for as long as I want. Though it makes when we do meet up all the more wonderful! But I’d do anything for him;  _ anything _ . I sigh, looking upwards at the dark sky before a noise from one of the three catches my attention.

“Ya were hopin’ to see him, huh? Ya can probably catch him in town if yer quick enough, ya know…”

“Oh, no, no, it’s alright. If he’s working I’m not gonna bother him. He needs to make sure this year’s Halloween is spectacularly spooky, after all! We’re all counting on him!”

I smile, pumping my fist in the air, though I can feel the exhaustion start to sweep over me. I have been walking for a while; at least half a day or possibly more, with little actual rest or food. I’d figured I could have waited until I met with him, but…Honestly, I’m pretty close to just conking out on the cobblestone ground right now. I feel heavy, and I sit down on the ground to rest my sore legs. 

“Hey, hon, you don’ look s’ good…”

“Huh? Oh, no...m’ fine, really…Legs just ache.”

I weakly protest, and the three look at each other again before one of them speaks up, the taller one.

“Maybe one a’ us should go get Dollface. We can’t just leave the kid out ‘ere like this…”

“Nah...it’s ok guys. I’ll...I’ll just...mmm…”

I mutter, losing my train of thought as I feel my eyes start to close. I let out a yawn, covering my mouth with my hand. My backpack feels like a huge weight, nearly dragging me down as I start to shrug it off. I really want to just take a short nap, even if the ground is quite rough and cold. I barely register the sound of footsteps coming from another direction, though I feel my heart seize in anxiety.  _ Please, please... _ It beats faster and faster as the steps come closer, my heart hoping against hope that it is indeed my love finally done with work. 

Something tells me it isn’t, as Jack is so tall I most likely would have seen his gangly form from above the fences. As the figure rounds the corner, and I can finally make them out, that hope is dashed almost instantly. Though hope still blossoms in my chest, along with a twinge of happiness. As I know this person quite well, and was hoping to meet with them eventually while I was here. It just happens fate made us cross paths sooner than later. I watch as they finally recognize me, their features finally coming into focus for me, smirking a bit as I greet them. 

“Oh, Sally! Fancy meeting...you here.”

She frowns, stitched lips and almond shaped eyes staring at me worriedly. I try to stand up as she moves closer towards me, but my legs give out from under me, and I fall flat onto my backside. Huh. I’m surprised; that simple day walk and fence jump must have taken more out of me than I thought.

“Oh, look at you! You must be exhausted.”

“...I guess you could say that…”

I mutter, blearily meeting her gaze before I feel myself start to fall asleep again. She bends down towards me, the look she gives me probably one of concern, but my glasses are sliding off my nose at this point and making everything blurry. I straighten them, before noticing she has a hand extended toward me. I carefully take it, putting a palm against the fence I had been laying nearby to use so I don’t put too much pressure on her. I’d feel awful if her arm came off. Thankfully it doesn’t, and we both stand up without much trouble, though I find myself leaning into her slightly. Something soft touches me, and my brain registers it’s her arm, supporting me as my head rolls onto her shoulder. 

“Sorry…”

I say, nearly leaning into the hand cupping my cheek. Her skin is nice and soft, and I love the texture of it. It’s comforting—soothing—I suppose...and she’s so nice...It makes part of me wonder what would have happened if I had fallen for her instead. I could imagine myself doing so, if I hadn’t already been taken in by Jack’s charms—if things had been different. I smile, chuckling a bit as I try to focus. 

“Oh, it’s no trouble at all. I am surprised to see you though.”

She comments, as we quickly bend down to pick up my backpack and put it on my shoulders. She grunts with the effort, and I notice a few of her seams looking more loose than before.

“Be careful, dear. You don’t wanna lose an arm right now, I don’t think?”

She smiles at me, a twinkle in her eye as she responds.

“Something as simple as this won’t tear me apart. Now, let’s go. I’ll set you up in my house. It wouldn’t be good for you to be out in this chill.”

“Huh? Are you sure? I can’t impose...on you...like that…”

I mutter, yawning a bit as I speak. She gives me a hard glare, her almond eyes seeming to stare into my being.

“Of course I’m sure! I can’t leave one of my dearest friends out in the cold like this! Besides, you can tell me what exactly you’re doing here. Though I have a feeling I know what—or  _ who _ —you’ve come here for…”

She says, smirking slightly as I feel my face heat up. The three musicians chuckle themselves, and I huff, embarrassed at my show of vulnerability in front of so many people—even if I know them all somewhat well. Talking about him always makes me that way. The only thing I’d say was troubling about our relationship. I nod, and we slowly start to walk away, towards the gate where she had come from. But not before I thank the musical trio for their companionship, short though it was.

“Thanks for the tunes, guys. I’ll see ya around, yeah?”

“Heh, we could say the same for the tips, kiddo. Take care.”

I smile at their words, before Sally gives me a small tug and guides us both toward the town entrance. The gate opens with a loud creak, and the two of us are soon in the town square proper. Not many monsters are wandering around at this time of night; I can only make out silhouettes at the most. I just ignore them, though I think I feel people staring at the two of us. It makes me shrink slightly, pulling my hood over my face almost embarrassedly. Sally gives me a similar frown, nodding at me. We both remember what happened the last time I was spotted in town before when Jack wasn’t around. Even if there’s no chance of it happening I don’t want to go through it again. 

So we hurry our steps along, before we come to a large building that I am only slightly familiar with. It has quite a few windows of various shapes, with a door that would be called haphazard if it was constructed in our world. Here the crooked frame gives it a bit of charm, makes it less dull. It’s still the same design on the outside, though it seems to have gone through some renovations compared to the last time I saw it. I wait as she opens the door for me, thanking her before slipping inside. I look around quickly as I hear her close and lock the door behind us, curious as to what she’s been doing. From what I can tell, her tailoring business seems to be booming. 

It has the trappings of a usual store; shelves and hooks filled with products. In this case, some dresses, pants and shirts of various makes and materials. Signs do hang up over certain items, discounted clothes or products on sale. Nonetheless, they are all beautifully crafted and lined up to match with the right styles and shapes. I wouldn’t expect any less from Sally; her design sense and aesthetic has always been impeccable. I do have quite a few pieces from her myself, custom made to fit me. The countertop where she does her business is clean and neat, jars full of buttons, zippers and other small spare pieces lining the counter with little signs pointing to their prices. I can see a little beyond the countertop, something that leads into a living area in the back. 

I can only presume this is where we are going, as Sally purposefully leads me towards said place. She opens a door, which leads to a somewhat small room. There is a small table in the middle of it, and a medium sized couch near one of the walls. There’s what looks like a small kitchen past there as well as a hallway that probably leads to her own bedroom and bathroom. I quickly take my shoes off, not wanting to trail any mud or dirt from my walk into her living space. She smiles at me, slightly tittering on her long legs as her one free arm sweeps around the room.

“Now I don’t have much to offer you—“

“Don’t even say that, Sal! It’s more than enough, honestly.”

I protest, trying to shut down the depreciation before it starts. I know that trap all too well. Once you start you can’t stop and it’s horrible. Even if she was just trying to be humble, I won’t allow it.

“I’m really grateful...that you let me crash like this. Sorry that I appeared out of the blue...I wanted to surprise Jack...”

“Oh? He doesn’t know you’ve arrived?”

She gestures to the couch, where I nod and start to move.

“Nope. He has no clue. At least, for the moment, anyway. Unless those three decide to tell him I dropped by. I admit it was a spur of the moment idea.”

I sigh, plopping my bag over to the couch and sitting down. Sally follows suit, sitting on the opposite side. 

“Hmhmhm...For you to come all the way here on a whim seems dangerous. Just how important is this ‘spur of the moment’ idea of yours?”

“Very,  _ very _ important. I’d wanted to...see him immediately, but...things never turn out like they should, do they?”

I feel myself start to nod off again, my body sliding against the side of the couch in an attempt to lay down. I notice a soft hand touch my knee tenderly, Sally quickly getting up off the couch, a smile on her face as she does so.

“Well, I would like to know more, but you’re clearly tired; we can continue this conversation in the morning.  _ After _ you’ve rested.”

She walks away from the couch, her footfalls receding for a moment as her blurry form fades out of my field of view. She comes back a few minutes later, carrying a small blanket that she drapes over me. I smile, taking off my glasses and putting them on the table in front of me.

“Thanks. You really don’t have to go through all of this for me, y’know?”

“It’s not trouble at all. Now, you need to sleep and I need to get ready for bed myself. I’ve also had an exciting day. Good night.”

I watch her blurry form move away, honestly too tired to do anything other than shuffle in the blanket and close my eyes. I do hope I can finally meet Jack tomorrow. Though I am scared of the whole idea. Maybe talking through it with her will make me feel better. My head doesn’t stop buzzing with thoughts as I toss and turn on the small couch...

The smell of freshly cooked  _ something _ rouses me from my sleep. I blearily open my eyes, squinting at the few rays of light shining through the windows. It takes me a second after I put in my glasses to remember where exactly I am. After doing a quick stretch to get the knots out of my bones, I walk over to where the smell is coming from to find Sally, leaning over the stovetop. She stops cooking for a moment to smile brightly at me, which I return wholeheartedly.

“Sorry, did I wake you up? I was hungry, so I was making some food.”

I shake my head, walking over to her and peeking at the concoction. It looks like food—but nothing I’ve seen before. Maybe it’s something special that only she can eat? She is filled with leaves after all; wouldn’t regular food hurt her? Burn her leaves or make them soggy? I don’t know, and I don’t want to be rude and ask, but it is a compelling topic. 

“No, it’s fine. I was hungry and smelling this made me get up. Glad I did, otherwise I probably would have slept in another hour or so! What is it anyway?”

She looks at the stovetop, turning the food over in the pan a couple times and swishing it around.

“Hmmm...oh this? Just a simple dish; I usually have it for breakfast because it’s easy to make and saves me time. I love it; it tastes quite good, if I do say so myself! Though…”

She watches me, then goes back to the food, a frown on her face as she contemplates something. 

“I don’t think you could eat this. I’m sorry! I’m not sure if it’s safe for humans to consume and I’d rather not risk it.”

“Of course! I have some stuff in my bag to eat. I usually bring my own food from home for when I go to see Jack. Thankfully it doesn’t take too long to prepare! I’ll get that and we can eat together, how’s that sound?”

“Oh, that sounds nice!”

I nod, going back into the living room and ruffling through my bag. Finding the food I’m looking for—it doesn’t have to have anything added to it, just heated up—I return to the kitchen and begin to do just that. Sally finishes preparing her food soon after and sits down at the small table in the middle of the kitchen. Our meal is silent really, aside from a few basic questions; we both know what’s going to happen next. I can feel my stomach clench from anxiety. I admit I’m not sure I am ready to tell this to anyone. After we both finish eating, she leads me back to the couch and my backpack. We sit down, each on opposite sides of the couch, facing each other. She speaks first.

“Now can we please talk about the reason you felt it was so important you walked a day with no real sleep to come see our mutual friend?”

I huff, my face burning with embarrassment. She wouldn’t judge me, would she? Sally’s a reasonable person—ragdoll? Whatever. Maybe talking about it will make it easier for when I actually have to do it. The thought of seeing him again makes my mouth dry up a little, my heart racing as I imagine him sitting across from me like she is right this moment. I shake my head, trying to focus on right now. 

“Yes...the reason I came. R-right…” 

I shuffle on the seat of the couch, anxiety hitting me all at once like a truck. Maybe this was a bad idea? Hadn’t she had a crush on him once upon a time? Would she be mad at me for bringing up that? Would she hate what I have to ask? Would she purposefully give me bad advice?

I look at the cute rag doll, her eyes and stitched smile so genuine, though I see her concern for me hiding underneath and mentally smack myself for letting my anxiety say those things. She is a dear friend and I would die for her. And I have no doubt she would do the same. I feel guilty for even thinking such thoughts about her.  _ I just have to try… _

I feel my breath hitch as I ruffle through the bag and show her the one tiny box, the engagement ring, her eyes going quite wide as she takes it from me. She takes out the ring, watching it gleam in the light and looking at from different angles. It was intricately carved, colored a deep black onyx that shone brightly, with a silver inlay. The other—the wedding band—is a touch more sophisticated, though I’ll wait until I hear what she has to say about the whole idea in the first place before I show that one off. Or maybe when we actually decide to get married...

“Oh, this is stunning! He’d love it, I’m sure of it!”

“T-thanks...I used what I knew he’d like for the design. It was hard to find a custom jeweler to make something like this. And in such a small size too…I had to find a sneaky way to get his size without him noticing.”

“You’re going to propose, isn’t that right?”

I feel my face light up despite myself. I can't help the shakiness that comes over my voice as I confirm her words.

“Y-yeah…”

“Oh I can’t believe it! My two best friends, finally tying the knot.”

I feel her hug me tightly, shifting the box back into my hands. I squirm a bit, surprised by the contact, though she releases me soon after. We both look at each other and laugh, my brain honestly still processing what she said.  _ This is gonna be it huh? _ I take a deep breath, looking at the very important tiny box in my palm.

“I’m surprised he hasn’t proposed himself already. He’s probably been too busy with Halloween to get a moment to himself…much less one to come visit me.”

“Oh, yes, I don’t doubt he would have come up with the idea sooner if he wasn’t so busy. Most of the town hasn’t really been able to get a hold of him the last week or so. Usually it’s only been the mayor—and I’m certain you know how that goes.”

I feel a hand on my leg, looking up to see her smiling stitched face. Guilt twists through me suddenly, a grimace on my face as I ponder things over. The rag doll immediately senses my change in mood, a frown coming over her face suddenly as I notice her hand turn my head her way.

“What’s wrong? Are you sick all of a sudden? You should’ve told me!”

“Oh, no...not sick...just…”

I throw up my free hand, blinking away tears of shame and guilt as I try to talk. I thankfully maintain my composure, taking a breath as I speak.

“I-I don’t know...Aren’t you mad at me? I kinda feel like I stole Jack from you; as awful as that sounds to suggest he has no autonomy to choose his partners! But...any chance you had to be with him as a romantic partner, is squashed because of his infatuation with me…And now I’m...well...you know...”

She stares at me, shocked, a hand to her rosy lips as she sighs, shaking her long tresses to and fro. I almost feel as if I am being scolded, and my cheeks heat up in embarrassment. 

“Oh, dear...oh no. No, no no no. I did love him once, yes, but...those days are gone. We are certainly still friends and he is dear to me, but no longer in that way. As I spent more time with him, and you as well, I finally understood what I was looking for. And fell out of romantic love with him.”

“Oh, I’m sorry…”

I feel my heart clench with guilt, looking away from her for a moment.  _ I really did take their chance to be together, didn’t I? If I didn’t exist, would they have gotten together? Has my selfishness ruined two of my favorite people’s chance of true happiness? _ A soft hand cups my chin then, making me start a bit from my depressing inner monologue. 

“Don’t be sorry. You have nothing to apologize for. It was a long time ago, darling, and it was for the best. After all, it helped me get this shop, and my job, and be independent. And I still see Jack, and we have fun together from time to time! And you have joined my group of close friends as well. And that is worth more to me than the chance of a relationship based on what I thought was good for me at the time.”

“Thought was good?”

I mutter to myself, unsure of what exactly she meant. Sally must have heard me though, so she calmly explains.

“Well...I finally realized it. It wasn’t so much Jack himself I loved. When he took me out of the tower for the first time and showed me around town...I felt like I was finally free. The more I left that tower and saw the world outside, the better I felt. The more people I met besides Igor and the Doctor, the more I got to know about the kindness of others. And when you told me I have the power to do what I want with my life, that I shouldn’t hold myself to others' expectations of me... I think that’s what I was looking for...freedom. And he represented that freedom; even though the poor man was almost as trapped as I was, back then! He still is, somewhat…”

She stares off into the distance somewhat wistfully. I shuffle in my seat, feeling slightly uncomfortable for having brought the topic up in the first place. I watch as her wide eyes lock onto me, her soft hand gently grasping my own and holding it in place.

“He certainly seems much happier these days. That I can tell for sure. And you’ve helped cause that change. You may not think it, but you’re special. Not just to Jack, but me as well.”

“Is that so…?”

I mutter, not entirely convinced. She sighs, shaking her head again. 

“Yes. You are. And don’t let anyone—even yourself—tell you otherwise.”

I can only watch as she gets up from the couch, looking at the small clock on the wall. I’m still not sure of what I’m going to do at the moment. We’ve talked about a lot in these few minutes and I’m still processing everything. 

“Well, I should get ready to set up shop. Please, help yourself to anything that you need.”

“Uhh...Can I try to help? I can’t sew, obviously but I can try manning the counter for you. It’s the least I can do.”

I stand up, my decision made for the moment. Who knows? Maybe this will help me focus for a while. Then I’ll be better able to decide what to do. She frowns, but sighs and shakes her head.

“If that’s what you want to do...I’d certainly appreciate the help. I feel horrible asking for it though; you’re a guest, after all.”

I smile, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

“Oh it’s no trouble at all. What’re friends for, huh?”

She smirks, turning to face me.

“Well, if that’s the case you better get ready. You can use my bathroom. And, thank you.”

I grab my bag and head for the room, giving her a quick ‘thank you’ before I go. Hopefully once this is all over, I can go find him...

The next few hours rush by in a tangle of excitement and nervousness. I’ve worked in retail before, for quite a while before I was able to get my current job, but that was in the human world. Doing it here, is more than a little different. But it goes ok, thanks to Sally helping every so often. She taps me on the shoulder quickly, and I turn my attention to her for a few moments. She is technically my boss right now, after all.

“Do you mind holding the fort while I look for these back orders?”

“Of course! Leave it to me!” 

I respond, giving her a thumbs up. She quickly retreats to another area of the shop. I do my best to smile at the patrons and go to anyone who needs help, but I admit I’m not knowledgeable on these things like Sally is. I don’t know the types of fabric used, or how they hold water, or if they are resistant to...acid? I do my best, however, and soon I hear her come back out to the front. I breath a quick sigh of relief, and she smiles before she walks up to me, holding a familiar article of clothing.

“Oh, you’re doing a good job. It wasn’t too hard, was it?”

“No, no it was...okay.”

I look at the article of clothing she is holding; a suit I know all too well. It’s covered in plastic, likely to stop it from wrinkling or getting dirty. I smirk, looking at the outfit.

“Oh, and would this important suit be for someone who is tall, pale and handsome?”

I joke, chuckling with a hand covering my mouth. Sally laughs too, a glint in her eye as she smirks at me.

“Possibly...He tore a sleeve, and the job was too much for his own skills, so he asked me to do it for him. I have a feeling he’ll drop by the second he has time. Now let me just put this on the ‘pick up’ rack and I’ll join you in a moment.”

I feel my heart leap with anticipation. Finally, after waiting all this time I can finally see him! The next hour seems to crawl by, my nerves slowly getting more and more tense by the minute. Every time I hear the door jingle, my head snaps towards the sound, hoping to see a familiar head ducking under the smaller door frame. My hopes are dashed nearly every time unfortunately, and I check less and less as the hour turns into two. I’m busy ringing out a customer when I feel like I'm being watched. I ignore it, thinking it’s my paranoia—God knows how many times I’ve imagined people looking at me when no one has been there.

I’m busy putting their change into the till, wishing them a good—in this case, horrible—day as they leave and begin counting the correct coinage. It’s actually difficult because the coins look similar to each other, aside from the differing engravings, so I have to pay close attention to each one so I don’t mess them up. The sound of someone walking up to the counter makes me stop, and I turn my head towards them, prepared to say my usual greeting.

“Oh, I’m sorry. How can I—“

I stop speaking, astonishment slowly making its way onto my face. I blink, keeping my eyes closed for a couple seconds before opening them again.  _ Nope. He’s right there. In front of me.  _ I just study his features; the way his lean, lanky frame towers over the countertop, the adorable button like holes that make up his nose, the expectant look in his sockets that is making something coil in my gut, that kind and patient smile that hides just a hint of mischievous intent. Several emotions hit me at once, the first being a deep longing, and I breathe out my nose, straightening my posture.

Finally, I’m finally face to face with my love after all this time. I’m excited, my heart racing a mile a minute at least! I can  _ feel _ the smile I must be doing, making my cheeks hurt as my eyes widen slightly. I resist the urge to pull him towards me, the back of my mouth itching to feel him again. But I can’t lose my composure right now; I still have a job to do and he is technically a customer. 

Weirdly enough, no one else seems to comment on the fact that he’s here right now, enamored with their King as they are. Then again, there’s very few patrons in the shop at the moment; only a coupe I can barely notice over the counter. Though that too is hard when his gangly frame obscures most of my line of sight. Not that I mind at all. I cough, trying to disguise my slip up and ignore the adorable smirk that comes over his features as he watches me. Damn him, he knows what he’s doing to me and it hasn’t even been five minutes!

“Welcome. How can I help you,  _ sir _ ?”

I smirk despite myself, watching as he mimics my expression, one of his hands coming to rest atop the counter. I resist the urge to reach out and touch it, to feel the curves and smoothness of his delicate ivory phalanges. The other rests against the bottom of his chin, as his sockets glare at me intensely. I can feel myself turning to mush under that stare, my face heating up as I try to match his glare. 

“Oh, I believe you most certainly  _ can _ help me. I brought one of my suits here to be fixed, and was told it was ready for me.”

His bones are practically rattling with excitement, I can hear it—though I can tell he’s doing his best to keep calm. Knowing that simply seeing me has such an effect on him makes my heart swell and ache at the same time. I nod, doing my best to keep my voice even.

“Yes, I think it is. Hold on just a moment and I can go and get it for you. Before I do, is there  _ anything else _ I can help you with while I’m at the front counter?”

He smiles, his sockets narrowing even further as he bends down a bit more, so that his face is closer to mine, yet still within a professional distance away. Oh, he’s being a little snot now. There’s no way he’d do this if there were more people in the store, or if it wasn’t owned by his best friend. Then again, I suppose I did start it first. 

“Oh, yes. If you can please get the proprietor of the shop to meet with me, I would much appreciate it. It seems like she picked up a wonderful, kind, and amazing human sometime last night. The way I heard it, they were  _ about to pass out from exhaustion  _ before she was lucky enough to come across them. Considering this person  _ is very important to me,  _ and I only found out about it  _ this morning _ , I suppose you can imagine how worried I was.”

I can feel my cheeks physically heat up at the comment.  _ He’s going to kill me—possibly in more ways than one—and it hasn’t been ten minutes!  _ I cover my face with a hand, trying to not wheeze from the exhilaration. I never was good at taking compliments, even from him. And god dammit this was genuine despite how we were acting right now. Though I can feel an undercurrent of anger there, which makes part of me feel guilty. I had a good reason for it; I think so anyway. That coy sneak; I’ll get back at him for this, I swear. I choke on my words, my voice a tiny squeak more from embarrassment than any real fear as I respond.

“O-of course! Hold on just a m-moment.”

I excuse myself, walking away from him and the counter to head towards where she last went. I can hear Jack’s low chuckle even from this distance, the gravelly sounds sending a tremor of excitement up my spine. God, I  _ love it _ when his voice gets so deep. Sally’s figure soon comes into view a few moments later and I quickly clear my throat to get her attention.

“Sorry. A certain  _ customer  _ has requested that you come and have a quick discussion with him. He says it’s urgent, and I admit I’m inclined to agree.”

I feel kinda bad phrasing it as such, but I really do want to spend time with him as soon as possible. Sally smiles at me, easily sensing my excitement and nods.

“Of course. I’ll go talk with him; you go and get your things so you can leave.”

I nod, giddiness flooding through my bones at hearing her words. I give her a quick hug, which she softly returns, before I nearly run towards the back of the house that served as her living space. I know right where my things are, having packed them back up before I left to start working. So it only takes me a moment to take out the small gift I had gotten for Sally and place it on her living room table. It’s not much, just a little gift I thought she’d like. Human fashion is always changing, along with the techniques for producing it. So I got her a couple books on more modern sewing techniques, along with a few spoils of thread. I heft my bag over my back, making sure the straps are secure, before I quickly walk back to the storefront.

He’s behind the counter now, gesturing with one free hand towards his shorter companion. The other has his suit draped over it, folded again so that it can’t touch the floor.

“It looks impeccable, as your work always does! I can’t thank you enough for doing it on such short notice.”

“It was no problem at all, Jack. Ah, you’ve got all your things, then?”

Sensing my cue, I slowly walk up to the pair of them, having waited a respectable distance away for them to have their conversation in private. I shuffle a bit on my feet, feeling oddly shy now that I’m the focus of attention.

“Oh, yeah, I’m all set! But…”

I look over towards the counter, hearing another jingle that signifies another customer has entered the store. 

“Are you sure you don’t need me? It looks busy in here; I can stil—“

Her upraised hand stops me, a smile on her face as she gestures to the pair of us. 

“Yes, dear, you’ve helped me enough for today. Now go spend some time with your lover before either of you get interrupted.”

I watch as she gives us a small wink, and we both turn to look at each other, embarrassed. Were we really that obvious? His sockets are locked onto me, his thin fingers slowly wrapping themselves around mine tightly as if he was worried I’d slip away from him if he didn’t. As if he doesn’t already know there’s nowhere else I’d rather be than by his side. I squeeze them reassuringly, before giving him a soft tug towards me.

“Right...We should probably get going then. Thanks for everything. I’ll probably stop by again before I leave.”

I say, walking the pair of us away from the counter and towards the storefront. Jack bows, thanking her again for her work and that he'd love for the three of us to spend time together again. The door jingles as we leave, still holding hands as we walk into the town square. I feel his hand leave mine, while he waves to a few of the people wishing the two of us a horrible day. I wave, or try to, but I can’t see any of the monsters and I don’t want to look awkward. 

He doesn’t resume holding it, but he stays close so that if I need him for anything he’d be within reach. We just keep walking through town, Jack pointing out new things that have cropped up since I've been gone. Not too much has changed though; I can understand why he’d be tired of the place if it stays stagnant like this for decades at a time. Suddenly, I hear a loud voice call out and I feel him freeze thanks to my proximity to him, looking almost as if he was caught doing something he shouldn’t. He does his best to regain his usual smile and posture, though it’s terse and heavy.

“Oh,  _ oh _ , Jack! How  _ horrible  _ to see you; I’ve been looking for you. We have to—hmmm?”

A large form comes bounding our way, it’s voice boisterous and loud. I feel Jack stiffen a bit, his body drooping with tension. I can see why when the figure comes into my field of view. It’s someone I know a bit too well because of my frequent interactions with their King. He is the cause of quite a few of my love’s problems. Unintentionally, of course; the man is just a tad dense when it comes to anything else aside from preparations for Halloween. I do suppose it’s sort of his second job. Whatever his first job is supposed to be I have no idea. For a supposed Mayor, Jack really seems to be the one in charge around this place. The mayor then looks at me for a moment, with his regular human-like face, spiral yellow eyes swirling as he regards me with a handshake. I don’t know what exactly to do, other than to mutter a soft welcome. 

“Hey, Mr.Mayor…”

“Oh, hello, dear! It  _ has _ been a while since we’ve seen you last. How are you feeling? Horrible I hope? I’m sorry to interrupt, but I do need Jack for a few hours, if that’s possible?”

I swear I can hear Jack sigh under his breath, though he smiles at the Mayor, his voice is a little too pleasant as he responds. Faked of course, but I doubt the man notices.

“Why? Didn’t we leave things on a good note last night? I thought my decision to have the pumpkins be given more time to grow for the carving celebration was decent, at least. They didn’t look so good last year, I don’t think…”

“Oh no, Jack I agree there! But I think we overlooked some things yesterday that I wanted to check, and then we never went over the proposal for, for—oh I can’t remember at the moment, but...it should only take a day or three at most, I think!”

The man holds out a large pamphlet of documents, probably what he was bounding towards us with before. It’s a sizable sheaf of papers and I blanch at seeing it.  _ Something like that would take a whole week; and I don’t have that kind of time! But I don’t want to be selfish either...  _ I feel my stomach clench a little. Call it selfish—and it is—but I barely got to spend ten minutes with him before he’s being whisked away again! I wonder if he can sense my disappointment, or if he feels the exact same, because he frowns as he looks at the Mayor and his documents, though not unkindly. His voice is strained, lacking his cheerful tone just a little as he puts a finger to his chin thoughtfully.

“Is that so? Maybe we can take a rain check on those changes. I need to drop off my suit, and get something in me before I wither away to dust.”

“Oh, of course Jack. Then maybe after you’re done with those things you can—“

I feel Jack’s fingers wrap around my shoulder then, gentling pulling me in front of his lean frame. Or rather, up against, as I can feel the silk of his pants and the odd hardness of the femur and fibula underneath. I give him a quick look, to which he simply grins at me for a moment before looking back at The Mayor, as I feel his slender hand cup my chin to tilt my head upwards. 

“You know about my beautiful and  _ terrible _ significant other, don’t you, Mayor? She decided to drop by today, much to my surprise! Now  _ she can’t stay here long _ , so I’m going to try and make the most of my time with her  _ without any interruptions for the next couple days. _ And remember that nice  _ suggestion  _ she put in place the  _ last time _ I worked myself into a stupor  _ that we unanimously agreed on?  _ The one where I can take a day or two off from planning and everything if things get too rough for me?”

“Y-yes, Jack. Of course!”

The Mayor mutters, his face starting to spin a few times, showing off his paler half with the more monstrous appearance. Jack simply nods, his hand letting go of my chin to rest on my shoulder. He continues speaking, still using that calm yet terrifying tone that makes my skin crawl with excitement.

“I think I’m going to exercise that rule, for a few days. I know Halloween is close, but we are actually ahead of schedule. We can get started on going over those documents  _ after she leaves. Understand?” _

The nervous man nods, obviously able to hear the meaning in his tone. He quickly wishes us a horrible day, before heading off to who knows where. I can feel the tension in Jack’s body relax, a soft exhale leaving him. He waits a bit before he looks at me, his expression soft and slightly pained.

“I...wasn’t too harsh, was I?”

I blink, looking up at him quizzically before I shake my head. 

“No, dear. I’m glad you’re trying to follow my advice even when I’m not here. You do need to take more breaks, even during times like these. I hope I’m not making things difficult for you, or forcing you to—“

He smiles, gripping my hand again and giving it a soft squeeze. Neither of us move yet, still standing in the same spot and position as before. I don’t mind, as I love being close to him, but...We should probably leave before anyone spots us again and tries to disturb us.  _ Or tries to take him away again... _

“No, no. I  _ really _ do need the break. The mayor has been running me a bit ragged these past few days; though I admit some of it is due to my own stubbornness. I have been working later than I should…”

He admits, causing me to glare at him. I sigh, taking his other hand and caressing it. I press my mouth to one of his phalanges, softly planting kisses from the pointed tip up to his carpals. 

“Why aren’t I surprised? I wish I had half the enthusiasm you do, my love. That’s one of the reasons I love you; the way you’re so passionate about the things you do makes me smile. It’s adorable, really…”.

I mutter, hearing him exhale sharply as his hand grows slightly warmer. I smile, understanding I must have elicited some kind of reaction that he’s trying to keep under control. He only gets warm like this when he’s  _ heated up _ , so to speak, probably due to holding in the energy that lets him breathe fire. It seems to be tied to his emotional state; usually when he’s angry or  _ excited _ it begins to slip out. As that stupid sack of bugs found out the hard way by pissing him off. Needless to say, that fool is a pile of cinders now. 

“Why didn’t you let me know first before coming here? The Hinterlands are filled with dangerous spirits, not to mention it’s easy to get lost. Even I don’t go there often, aside from when I have to meet with you.” 

I just focus on the sound of my feet hitting the cobblestones. I’m not really sure how to answer his question without giving myself away. I settle for a partial truth, sighing.

“Well... I had the idea to surprise you with my visit this time. I didn’t think it through exactly; it was more of a spur of the moment thing. I just packed up my stuff and left, really.”

“That’s odd for you...You’re usually more logical about things.”

I nod at his assessment, not sure of what to say exactly. We’re both quite logical people, always looking for the rational explanations to things if we can. He’s slightly more prone to acts of impulsiveness than I am, spurred on by emotional turmoil or outbursts. Probably because we keep so much of our own problems to ourselves, or at least we used to. Nowadays we talk to each other, or maybe Sally—like I did last night. Neither of us have much in the way of friends or confidants. It helps, letting other people know about your issues...I wonder if he thinks I’m in trouble right now.

“Did something happen to you back home?”

He says as he stops walking, looking at me with concern. I can only stare back, feeling my chest ache at the worry I see in his expression. I shake my head, squeezing his hand and running my fingers along his longer digits.

“No. No, nothing like that. I just...just…”

_...missed you.  _ I can’t bring myself to say the words. I look around, trying to find a way to calm down or change the topic, noticing that we’ve reached the outskirts of town, right in front of the gates leading to his manor. There’s hardly any people here; I see no one aside from us, which does help my nervousness a little. No one to spy on us. It feels like my throat is clogged, any noise I try to make is no more than a soft mumble. 

Of course he notices, a playful smirk on his skull, as I feel his other hand start to move towards me, despite holding the plastic wrapping that contained his suit. He delicately caresses the side of my cheek, the tips of his phalanges a bit sharp as they trail down my skin before stopping at the bottom of my chin. I can only exhale, feeling my stomach twist in knots as my heart aches. Maybe I was more starved for his touch than I thought.

“‘You just ‘what’?”

He lilts, cupping my chin in his hand and dragging me closer.  _ Bastard... _ I think, smiling despite myself. He really knows how to fluster me. Well, I might as well try to say  _ something,  _ lest he think there’s a real problem. The words come out in a soft whisper, barely audible. If he wasn’t so close he probably would have missed them completely. 

“...I missed you…”

He looks shocked for a second, sockets wide and mouth open a little before he settles back into his usual perky self. 

“There, now. Was that so hard?”

He jokes, even going so far as to plant a small kiss on my forehead, letting go of my chin, as I feel my face heat up from my confession and his action.  _ You are going to paaaay for that…. _ I frown, trying my best to not sound incredibly flustered as I respond.

“Yes, actually. It was. You know I’m not good with those sorts of things.”

“Well, neither am I, really. Good thing we’re helping each other work on these things, then, aren’t we?”

He says, and I can only look away from him and huff. It doesn’t really work, as I still have a tiny smile on my face. He chuckles, and I hear myself letting out some odd snort. I start moving again, wanting to get to our destination and I say as much while turning my head to face him.

“Ok. Let’s get going, shall we? I don’t want to be stopped by anyone else; and I doubt you do either.”

“True. Lead the way, my Queen.”

Ignoring the heat flooding my face, I easily open the gates and cross the small courtyard that leads to the manor proper. The stairs to the entrance are winding, long and crooked, making me cautious as I begin to step up one. I’ve never been good with stairs; I’ve fallen down them quite a few times as a child from not being able to see where the next step is. So I take them slowly, one foot at a time, all the while feeling a comforting presence behind me. Of course he’d never let me fall. And god knows I’d try to catch him if I was able; heck I’ve had to do that a few times actually. 

The thought makes me feel warm inside, a sort of tingling that runs through my body all the way to my fingertips. I finally reach the top of the landing, my love easily sliding into place next to me as I take out the spare key he had given me a few months ago. I peer at the doorknob, doing my best to insert the key into the lock. It misses the keyhole by a few inches, scraping against the knob and making a small screeching noise. I huff at it, glaring at the keyhole before trying it and missing again, feeling my cheeks heat up in embarrassment and a tiny bit of shame. I can feel him start to move towards me, and I’m not sure whether to tell him off and say I can do it myself or let him help. 

In the end I relent, if only because I enjoy the feeling of his hands over mine as he helps guide the key into the lock and twists it. After handing me back the key he opens the door, even going so far as to bow a little.

“After you, my love.”

I huff, nodding and walking through the door, ignoring the soft titter of his laugh as I see what looks to be an entrance hall. The sound of barking assaults me almost as soon as I step through, a flash of white going through me and making me shake with chills. I can feel goosebumps on my skin, which continue as the barking escalates in frequency. The shape finally stops moving, floating in front of me, and I smile at the cloth like apparition. I reach out a hand, and it easily melts into my touch, even going through my hand as I do my best to scratch underneath it’s chin.

“Hey, Zero.” I coo, the spectral dog leaning into my touch, his odd tail wagging back and forth. Even if I can’t exactly touch him, because he’s a ghost, I love doing so just to see his reactions. I wonder if he can feel it, kind of like how he makes me have the chills when he goes through me? Jack only smiles at seeing us, Zero quickly flying over to his master and giving him more than a few licks on the skull. I giggle, watching him take out a handkerchief out of his jacket packet and wiping his face with it. He just smiles at the floating ghost, giving him a few scratches underneath the chin.

“You have more energy than usual today. Is that because your friend is here? You must have missed her too, huh, boy?”

The dog barks, already flying away a few feet before looking at us expectantly. We both follow him into the living room, the pooch flopping into his bed almost immediately while looking up at us with a grin. I smile at the spectral dog, crouching down to pet him a few times before standing up again. 

“How about we eat first? You’re probably hungry by now, and I am too. Then we can talk.”

“Sure…Let me just put away my things and get my lunch.”

I respond, setting down my bag and ruffling through it quickly. I find the container holding the food I want, waiting on my love to hold out his hand, before I easily take it and he guides me to the kitchen. I know where it is, having lived here for a while, I just figured it would be polite. And I wanted an excuse to keep holding his hand. We separate once we reach the kitchen proper, Jack quickly going to his fridge and looking for something, while I went to the cabinets to try and get a dish. 

This presented my first problem; these weren’t made for regular humans in mind. And I was shorter than the average human. Thankfully there was a stool nearby that I could stand on—having brought it over from home. Sadly, even with the stool this cabinet was too far for me to reach, the dish barely brushing against my fingertips.  _ Looks like I need a taller stool; note for when I go back home.  _

“Have I told you how much I hate your cabinets, dear?”

He giggles, easily moving towards me and the offending article. He grabs the plate with ease, shutting the cabinet door gently—which makes me a little frustrated. I hate not being able to do things on my own. I suppose it can’t be helped, this time. He hands me the plate as if he were a butler of some sort, and I have to focus in order to not get sidetracked.  _ I mean, his suit already is fancy. All he’d need is the gloves.  _

I step down from the stool, taking the plate from his hands while muttering a quick thanks. He moves away to continue preparing his own meal—from what I can see of it, it looks like the bones from some animal; a cow, maybe? Is that his version of steak? I smile, these types of thoughts running through my head as I finish making my own food and sitting down at the table. I wait, watching him still working on his own dish before he smiles at me.

“Go ahead and eat, my Queen. I’ll join you in a moment.”

The compliment shocks me, a tremor running down my spine, half reminding me why I came here in the first place. I’ve been enjoying seeing him after so long I nearly forgot. Well, I’ll see if I can find a way to start that conversation after lunch. I do the polite thing and wait for him to finish making his own food, watching him give me an exasperated look before smiling as he sits down. We sit in this awkward silence for a few moments, not exactly sure what to say to one another. I’ve never been one to talk much at the table, usually focused on eating my food before it gets cold. 

“How was work?”

I try something simple, not really sure of what to say. He answers after a moment, and I can hear the exhaustion in his voice.

“...Alright, I suppose. I’m just a bit drained at the moment. We’ve been working nonstop to get things ready on time. Even though we are slightly ahead of schedule. I’m glad you decided to come over when you did; I needed a distraction.”

“Oh? So I’m just a distraction now, am I?”

I playfully scold, before taking a bite of my meal. He doesn’t miss a beat, swallowing his own food before responding.

“Yes, you’re  _ very _ distracting. But also inspiring; have I told you that before, my love? 

I nearly choke on my water, coughing as it goes down the wrong tube. I hear the telltale screech of a chair being moved, before I quickly put up a hand to tell him to stop.

“I...I’m ok….Went down the...wrong pipe…” 

I manage to sputter out, taking a few deep breaths to try and steady myself. He looks at me, concerned, before I wave him off, motioning to his food. He frowns, but relents, going back to his meal as I do to mine. I try to be careful, not wanting another incident, though I manage to finish before him. Taking my plate to the sink is easy, though I can’t wash it thanks to the damn height difference between me and the basin. Oh well, it can wait for later; I simply go back to my seat and wait for him to be done eating. He finishes soon after, smiling before also placing his plate in the sink and walking back to me.

“Well, that was nice.”

He comments, and I nod, getting up from my chair and pushing it back into the table. I take his offered hand, and we walk to the living room, towards the couch. 

“Sorry I’m not much of a conversationalist.”

I mutter, feeling a tad guilty. I haven’t seen him for months, and yet when I get here I don’t even talk to the man! He seems to sense my unease, because he looks at me as we sit down, his gaze patient and understanding.

“That’s fine, dear. I honestly enjoyed the quiet; the Mayor can be a bit much when he gets going with ideas. I love the man, but he tires me out.”

He says, taking a hand and brushing it against my cheek. I lean into his touch, missing the feeling before I pull back and lock eyes with him.

“What is it?”

I feel him start to move closer, making my heart beat rapidly. I should be used to this by now, but I’m not. He takes the hand that was on my cheek and brings it to my chin, before lifting my head up so I’m looking directly at him. 

“You still have something on your chin, my love.”

I blink, unable to feel anything on the spot, before I notice him move closer. He ‘traps’ me against the end of the couch, a horribly mischievous look on his skull as he looms over me playfully, my heart hammering away in my chest. I feel his lips press against mine a moment later, his slick tongue slithering out of his mouth for a second to curl around part of my mouth. We stay like that for a few moments, pressed against each other, enjoying the moment, before he pulls back, grin wider than ever. I snort, ignoring the heat on my face as I snark back.

“Oooh, you cheeky bastard…”

“You did have something on your chin, though. I was only trying to help.”

“Sure you were…”

I giggle, causing him to raise a brow bone suggestively.

“Well, if I can get that kind of adorable reaction from you, I’d do things like that more often.”

I squeak as he wraps his arms around me, holding me as he flips us over so I’m on top. We stay like that for a while, his hands running through my hair while trying not to get tangled in it. I just listen to the barely perceptible soft creaks and shuffles of his bones as he moves, the sounds oddly comforting—almost like a human heartbeat. It’s not too long before I feel him press on my shoulder gently, making me lift my head up from where it was on his chest. His gaze is curious, and a bit expectant, sockets narrowed slightly and the lines of his mouth tilted downwards.

“You said before that you had something you wanted to discuss with me?”

“Oh, right…It was the main reason I came here, actually.

I reply, giving him a soft kiss on the cheek. He eagerly returns it, moving his skull so that we are again pressing our lips against each other’s. I move myself up against him, clutching the sides of his torso in an attempt to get a better grip on him. 

I feel him bury his head into the crook of my neck before he speaks again. His breath tickles my skin, and makes me shiver with excitement.

“You have made me immensely curious. I want to know what it is, exactly.”

“When  _ aren’t you _ curious about things?”

I chide back, feeling him chuckle against me. He looks at me again, love clear in his gaze as I move myself off of him.

“H-hold on. It’s in my b-bag. I...have to go get it.”

I answer, cursing myself for being nervous. I walk towards where I left the small backpack, my heart hammering heavily in my chest. I get an idea, and command him softly as soon as I think of it. He always did like surprises.

“Now, close your eyes and hold out your hands. No peeking or you’ll ruin the surprise.”

He does as instructed, obediently sitting on the couch. I shuffle through my bag, checking every few seconds to see if he’s still following my directions. He doesn’t move, which is a bit odd, considering how curious he is about what is going on. I’d had thought he would have tried to peek. I finally feel the small velvet box in my bag, closing my hand around it and keeping it behind my back.

I walk over to him, crouching near to where he’s sitting. Dropping myself on a knee, I grab both of his hands softly, examining them.  _ Now, which hand did it go into again? I think the left, yeah? But...he only has four fingers; which would be the ring finger in this case? The middle one? Or the last one? Mmmm _ ...I ponder, taking his left hand and holding it out in front of me. My other one goes to the small box in my pocket, quickly opening it and trying my best to not make a loud noise as I extract the ring.

“Hm? What are you doing?”

He asks playfully, smiling. I squeeze his hands, letting out a short chuckle in response.

“Hold on. It’s part of the surprise, my love.”

I carefully slide it onto one of his phalanges until it seems comfortable, the ring going on easily enough. I tale his hand and lift it slightly, seeing how it looks on his finger. It’s perfect. I just hope he thinks so as well. I feel my throat start to constrict as I go to speak, my hand starting to become a tad sweaty from nerves.

“Ok. You can open your eyes now, dear.”

His eyes pop open, a smile still on his face as he’s looking down to where I’m still holding his hands. He simply stares at the small metal band, blinking slowly, eye sockets wide and mouth now open. I don’t think he realizes what’s going on yet. Though I can feel his hand trembling horribly under my own fingers. His voice is soft as he whispers out his question, not having moved from the spot.

“What is this?”

I look up at him, staring intently into his sockets as I hold the hand with the ring with both of my own. He’s still shaking, I can feel his whole body gently trembling, like he’s trying to  _ literally _ keep himself together. Kind of like how I feel right now. I try to take a deep breath, and then start to speak.

“I love you. I fell for you the first time I saw you, on that wispy autumn night. Then we somehow became friends, and I got to know you so much more. And fell even deeper in love. You’ve stayed with me all these years, despite my oddities and insecurities that would probably drive most people away. When we started going out, it felt like a dream. A dream I never want to wake up from. I want to spend the last of my living years with you. Will you be with me until my time is up?”

I exhale softly afterward, trying to calm myself. It doesn’t work, since I’m waiting for him to react. I notice the corners of his eyes have started to become wet with tears. I reach out to try and wipe some of them, but I feel his hand gently grab my arm and pull me up to half-sit, half straddle his lap. I blink, confused as I look at his face. Pure adoration and love radiate from him, making my heart flutter horribly. His voice is quiet and strained as he speaks, probably to try and keep himself from sobbing on the spot.

“Yes, you sneaky, clever, beautiful woman! I will stay with you forever; not only in life, but after you die as well. Nothing could separate me from you; not even you dying!”

I feel my heart pulse with joy, warmth spreading through me as our lips meet once again in a passionate kiss. Though am I curious; what exactly did he mean by that? Oh well, I can ask him later. We certainly have plenty of time before the wedding...


End file.
